Animal welfare advocates are celebrating a victory of the Lucy's Law campaign to end the horrors of puppy and kitten farming.
The government has announced that it will ban the sale of puppies by pet shops, online dealers and other third party sellers - in a bid to crack down on horrific breeding conditions.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove heaped praise on the campaign, which highlighted how these sellers rely on puppies and kittens supplied by callous commercial breeders.
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"We will eliminate puppy farming," he declared in a speech at 10 Downing Street. "We will make sure third party sales of kittens and puppies ends.
"Far too many of the pets that people, with the best will in the world, bring into their homes we know have been brought up in squalid circumstances, in circumstances of pain and suffering and misery which should never be inflicted on any living thing."
Anyone buying or adopting a pet less than six months old will have to deal directly with the breeder or a rescue centre under the proposed ban.
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According to Sky News, the aim is to make it easier for potential buyers to know where their pet has come from and the conditions in which it has been raised.
Gove told Sky News: "What we want to do is to try to make sure that anyone who has a pet will know that that puppy has been brought up in the right circumstances.
"That means we are seeking to outlaw third-party sales and say that you can only buy a puppy from a legitimate breeder, someone that you can visit, that you can see that puppy alongside their mum so that you know that animal has been brought up in a caring environment."
This new legislation comes off the back of a nine-year long campaign, called 'Lucy's Law'. The fight has been led by vet Marc Abraham of the Pup Aid campaign.
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He was motivated by the story of Lucy, a King Charles Spaniel who was rescued from a UK puppy farm in 2013.
Mr Abraham told The Mirror: "I'm delighted with the news that Lucy's Law is finally going to happen.
"For years irresponsible breeders in the UK and abroad - puppy farmers - have always used third parties to keep themselves well-hidden from the buying public.
"By banning third party sellers, Lucy's Law will ensure all breeders are accountable, making it the first major step in tackling puppy farm cruelty."
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